Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the essence of developmental education faculty experiences with the placement of students in their classrooms as a result of the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA). The interviews from this study were used to give developmental education faculty a voice and insight into…

The lack of self-advocacy for students with disabilities in higher education is a concern (Becker & Palladino, 2016). A recent influx of students with disabilities has prompted higher education institutions to take a closer look at their previous practices in an effort to reach these students. This qualitative research study examines faculty…

Attrition among new teachers with fewer than 5 years of experience was high in an urban high school in Texas. The high attrition rate is a problem for students, because high teacher turnover can result in teachers with low expertise. In this study, the conceptual framework used was Hord's professional learning community (PLC) model, which…

Persistence and graduation rates of African American students have become discussion topics of national, state, and educational leaders (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). Many African American students enroll in postsecondary education but do not persist to graduation (Harris, 2016). The purpose of this study was to explore African American…

This qualitative study focused on high school social studies teachers' understandings of and perspectives about vocabulary acquisition and instruction. The research questions were the following: (1) What do high school social studies teachers understand about vocabulary instruction? and (2) How do high school social studies teachers support…

Failure to adequately prepare teachers of emergent bilingual (EB) students could have devastating consequences for student achievement, EB reclassification, and eventually, high school and college completion. To enhance the policy discourse, we explore how teacher certification requirements relate to both EB student achievement and teacher…

This study examined the attitudes of nine teachers in a two-way dual-language program in regard to using technology to support the linguistic and academic development of emergent bilinguals. Using a phenomenological, multiple case-study approach, teachers' perceptions about using technology in education and the potential of technology to advance…

Handwriting is an essential skill for learners, but advancements with technology have greatly altered perceptions towards handwriting and handwriting instruction. This study sought to determine the current state of handwriting through an exploratory analysis of the teaching experiences of three practicing elementary teachers with varying…

As the public education system becomes more diverse, voices of advocates who positively support students and optimize student outcomes are essential. This qualitative multi-case case study focused on the perspectives of five educational leaders who advocated in a public school district in Texas. A brief overview of historic voices in education…

Universities and colleges have developed an over-reliance on adjunct faculty, and as a result, researchers have begun to study adjunct faculty satisfaction as it relates to their working conditions. Current research indicates that professional development is a source that can contribute to satisfaction at work (Hoyt, 2012). However, the research…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore perceptions of pre-service and mentor teachers regarding the level of integrating technology in the curriculum of 21 selected classrooms in eight rural school districts in Southeast Texas. The following research questions guided this phenomenological study: 1. What are…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand further similarities and differences between traditionally certified teachers and alternatively certified teachers specifically in the areas of teacher self-efficacy, classroom management, and teacher perceptions of their preparation program. The following research questions guided this…

Teachers today operate in highly politicized accountability environments where quick results, typically measured by K-12 test scores, are demanded. Although focusing on student learning outcomes is critical, equally essential is assuring that teacher learning opportunities which can strengthen instruction are available to teachers. A decade ago,…

This qualitative phenomenological research study used narrative inquiry to explore the perceptions of safety of rural Texas high school teachers as it related to a campus intruder or active shooter. The investigator utilized Creswell's (2012) six steps in analyzing and interpreting the qualitative data. The results of the study showed that…

The purpose of this research was to compare the beliefs and attitudes of teachers using the flipped versus the traditional class model. Survey and interview data were collected from a matched sample of in-service teachers representing both models from a large suburban southeastern Texas school district. The Attitude Towards Technology Scale, the…